


Fusion

by Vadersoul



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Cute Krennic, Fluff and Smut, Hate to Love, Imitating writing style of SW novelisation, Inappropriate Use of the Force, M/M, Mild Vader, No spoilers in tag, Original trilogy rewrite AU, Rare Pair, Slow Burn, They both need a Hug, road to redemption
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-12-26
Packaged: 2019-07-10 22:14:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15958640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vadersoul/pseuds/Vadersoul
Summary: -=Updates randomly but usually once a month=-Disclaimer: Star Wars is owned by Disney/Lucasfilm, I’m only writing a fanfic.Darth Vader feels his role as enforcer of the Empire is threatened by the Death Star’s presence. He decided to do something unusual in order to preserve his place in the Empire...by rescuing the person whom he had almost choked to death on Mustafar.P.S. This work is open for suggestions! Tell me what you think and your idea has a chance to show up in the work! Currently planned length is 20 chapters. Shows up as 21 because AO3 doesn’t have a preface option.P.P.S. Support me by commenting, leaving thoughts and/or writing fics about DV/OK. Or by sharing this work. Whatever. Please. Show me some love for DVOK.





	1. 00 Preface

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE PROVIDE IDEAS & INSIGHTS & PLOT PREDICTIONS. Failing to do so may result in delayed updates.
> 
> Most of the chapters will be rated PG, but some chapters have adult content, so the whole work is still rated explicit. I will put up notes on teenager-inappropriate chapters.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Darth Vader rescues Orson Krennic on Scarif just before Tarkin fires the Death Star.

Where there’s light, there’s darkness. When they meet they fuse into a beautiful shade of gray: the colour of a deadly weapon, the colour of a masterpiece.

[Citadel Tower, Scarif]

The Dark Lord was checking the injuries of an officer in white on the metal floor. A bitter smile formed behind his mask. He had never thought that he would ever rescue a man who offended him. How sarcastic. 

***

“You want to be the only technological aberration. You, the Emperor's most frightening enforcer.”

“Our battle station will rob you of that title, won't it? You will no longer be the most terrifying thing in the universe.”

Tarkin. Ever since he acquired the control of a newly built battle station, his arrogance has become even more insufferable. Vader has predicted and warned him about the consequences of overusing the battle station, but he didn’t seem to accept it. 

“And if you're not that, then what are you?”

Treachery. Conspiracy. There were a thousand knives hidden in his words. Like a viper he awaits his chance to attack. The Death Star, the battle station in progress, is not just a simple battle station. It was a planet killer proposed by Tarkin, an existence which brings far more terror than Darth Vader. Without doubt, once the station is fully operational, Vader’s power will become insignificant.

Do not make yourself superior before your opponent is completely stricken down, Wilhuff Tarkin. There is one person who can make your confidence shatter, and he is the very engineer you are trying to kill.

***

The shield generator was destroyed by two disabled star destroyers moments ago, exposing the planet to fleet attacks. The Imperial fleet is concentrating fire on the Rebel command ship, which makes it a good chance to sneak in. It will not be long before the star destroyers lock down the planet again, and even with Vader’s piloting skills it would be difficult to get away without noticing.

Gunfire from a TIE Interceptor left scorches on the still-hot platform, ashes were spread into the air by gentle movements of the wind. The unconscious officer lied face-down on the floor, with a dark marking on his white cape. That was an injury from a blaster bolt—the hot plasma has pierced his lungs from the back, he would certainly be dead by now if he was shot anywhere nearer to the heart. His own weapon, a DT-27 heavy blaster pistol, shone brightly under the sunlight nearby. 

Vader knelt down and gently held the officer in his arms. The man was barely breathing, eyes closed. His graying hair stuck on his forehead along with blood and dust. He was in such a state of serenity that it almost seems like he’d fallen asleep, but a trace of red beside his mouth suggests that he has been seriously wounded. Vader mused at this scene for a while, thinking how painful this could be. With a sigh he cleaned the blood beside the officer’s mouth and carried him towards his TIE fighter, along with the carefully polished pistol. 

It’s been about ten minutes since the Dark Lord disobeyed his orders. He is supposed to handle the rebel fleet now, but everyone becomes selfish when it comes to their benefit. He saw a greyish globe emerging from hyperspace. What’s up with the Death Star? He shut his eyes and connected with the living Force, seeking information that might be useful. 

“Single reactor ignition.”

“You may fire when ready.”

Tarkin is giving orders on the Death Star. Vader knows what Tarkin would do for certain—along with the rebels he will destroy Orson Krennic, Director of Advanced Weapon Research Department, his political rival and troublemaker. 

The Death Star has finished refilling energy, it could fire anytime. Scanning equipment on the battle station will be temporarily blocked by static waves when the main cannon fires, so it’s about time to leave this planet that’s about to be destroyed. Vader input some information into the dashboard of his fighter, set course for Mustafar, and made the hyperspace jump. 

A pale green laser beam shot through the signal tower from above and landed in the ocean nearby, annihilating every single particle in its way. Shockwaves formed in the air due to the impact, waves formed around the point of impact and quickly grew into walls of water. But in the very time Vader’s TIE fighter has already cleared the atmosphere and preparing to jump into hyperspace. 

Krennic was still not fully conscious. He sat in the Dark Lord’s lap, his head propping against Vader’s shoulders, utterly unaware of the fact that he has just cheated Death. So after many years of enforcing evil, Vader thought silently, he had at least done something good, although it's out of personal interest.

Maybe it was the will of the Force to let him live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Ideas? Predictions? Share them with me in the comments below.  
> Come on, do it. Feel the Dark Side. Let the words flow through you.  
> [uses mind tricks]


	2. 01 The Awakening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vader comes to the med bay and see a confused, sleepy Krennic.

[Vader’s base, Mustafar]

Magma of a dark red colour flowed slowly in rivers, cutting through the charcoal landscape. A harsh environment that one can never associate it with the word “home”, this is the world in which he was defeated, burned, and destroyed. The Dark Lord’s base, a black monolith, stands ominously across a broad lava fall. 

Darth Vader has just arrived in his shuttle. After transporting the Director to his facility, he went back and joined the fight. He had a particularly difficult day at work: his subordinates accidentally let an escape pod go free, and it turned out that the Death Star plan was in it. To make things worse, he had to interrogate a young lady of strong will, no matter how many times he tried, she would not say a single word. Frustrated, he sent some troopers to the escape pod’s landing site on Tatooine, hoping they will retrieve the plans. After all, Imperial troopers gain victory by numbers. 

The Director was released from the Bacta Gel Tank earlier this day, he must be awake by now, thought Vader. He quickened his pace toward the med bay, eager to see his rescued patient. 

[The medical bay, Vader’s base]

The grey, metallic floor in the med bay seemed cold, but the lights overhead emitted a warm, soothing yellow light. The fiery landscape could be seen through the enormous glass wall which acted as a protection from the outside heat. This is, undoubtedly, the most comfortable place in the Mustafar base.

“A flaw...there’s a flaw in my Death Star...”

The Director was muttering something as Vader came in through the blaster doors with something in his hands. He was still asleep, tugged nicely in a warm blanket on the medical bed, but obviously he is experiencing something bad in his dreams. Interested, the Dark Lord took a step closer to examine him.

***

It all seemed well until the Director woke up, startled by Vader’s heavy breathing sounds, his eyes unfocused. Where am I? What happened to me? Krennic raised his head and saw a huge, black-clad figure looming in his presence. It was the Dark Lord, and he was not prepared to see him again: the last time they met on this very planet, Vader almost choked him to death, leaving him suffocating on the ground. He felt coldness creeping up his spine. It seems every single meeting with Vader caused him to suffer, but still it’s time to say the words.

“Lord Vader...”

He spluttered, trying to find words suitable for the situation. Delightfully the Sith beside him found a trace of fear in his voice and preyed on it; this mysterious religion focuses on the dark side of emotions. 

“You have nearly lost your life on Scarif, Director.”

The mechanical voice came abruptly, cold and devoid of emotion. Krennic stiffened in his bulk of blanket. Kriff, it wasn’t my fault, he thought, thanks to Galen. Thanks to the man I’d known and trusted blindly for decades. And Tarkin too for taking over the control over my delicate work. All of you, you kriffing bastards, you’ve stripped me of everything I had.

A sweet scent came into Krennic’s nose,and it was not until now that he found himself starving. Quickly he looked around, and saw a glass of hot drink—probably hot chocolate—floating beside his hands. The fury in his blue eyes vanished. Without even thinking where it came from, he finished the drink in a few gulps and put the cup on a nearby table, feeling the warmth inside his stomach. Oh, the drink certainly made the day a lot better.

“Lord Vader...where am I?”

“Mustafar. You were unconscious for a full day, now get some more sleep. You have a great many things to attend to tomorrow.”

With that, the Dark Lord went out of the room with a sweep of his black cape. Krennic almost jumped out of his bed and follow Vader out, he had so much to explain and complain about. Vader’s only too good at manipulating conversations, cutting him off and leaving him uncertain about what to do.

So everything’s back to the origin, Krennic thought, he has gotten out of the frying pan of Sacrif into Mustafar’s fire. He could start a new life here, well-hidden from Tarkin and his enemies, but anonymity is the last thing he’d want. He was on the verge of greatness. He was this close.

He sank back into his comfortable blanket, cursing the healing Gel for having side effects which made his limbs numb. Soon the tiredness washed over him, and again he drifted into a slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPECIAL THANKS TO...  
> @cat: for suggesting the idea of blanket and hot chocolate!
> 
> Thoughts? Ideas? Predictions? Share them with me in the comments below.  
> Come on, do it. Feel the Dark Side. Let the words flow through you.  
> [uses mind tricks]


	3. 02 In Captivity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krennic receives some punishment from Vader for failing to protect the Death Star plans on Scarif...plot continues in next chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter contains some mature stuff...graphic descriptions of violence...and next chapter will be really explicit.
> 
> Nevertheless... I spent 6 hours on it. Happy thanksgiving to all Canadians, enjoy!

[Vader’s base, Mustafar]

Krennic opened his eyes again, staring at the scenery through the glass walls. Outside the med bay, scarlet rivers cut through the dark landscape, flowing slowly as if they were the veins of this very planet, Mustafar. Ashes and smoke emitted by the volcanoes nearby covered the sky, making it difficult to estimate the time. But Krennic was sure that the next day has already begun, as he can hear the faint noise from the activity outside. He dragged himself out of his blanket, had a good stretch, and discovered a new pair of uniform on a nearby counter. Obviously it’s time to rise, there are a great many things awaiting today.

***

When Krennic stepped out of the med bay’s doors, he was confident. A spotless white cape behind the back, leather gloves and boots shone brightly under the lights, with the heavy blaster gun which he kept carefully for years hanging from his belt. Oh, he looked magnificent. He could definitely change the Dark Lord’s mind with a confident smile and some carefully chosen words. 

A guide in black robes was waiting outside. He was the same one who led him to his nightmare the last time he he came to Mustafar, Krennic remembered, he didn’t even get the chance to know his name. The guide spoke dryly, informing Krennic that Lord Vader awaits him in his private quarters. 

***

Krennic was standing in Vader’s quarters, staring into the darkness of the hall. The lack of light made it difficult to identify objects in the room, and a massive egg-like container was the only thing he could see. He went several steps forward and squinted his eyes to adjust to the dimly lit environment, only to hear a click behind him. Instinctively he ran back to the blaster door, only to find it locked. He was trapped. Fear started to brew inside of him, readying itself to break his defences apart, but he forced himself to look elsewhere and calm down.

The container spilt into two halves as it clicked open near its equator. Its name suddenly came to Krennic’s mind: meditation chamber. It’s a special space made for the Dark Lord to rest and meditate on whatever he need to. Inside of it there are machines for taking off Vader’s armour, and the oxygen concentration can be adjusted. Vader was sitting on a seat, gesturing him to come inside now. After a moment of hesitation, Krennic stepped through the zigzag-shaped opening and went into the chamber. The chamber was bigger than he thought.

“Kneel, Director. On both knees.”

Kneel? Krennic was shocked. The Dark Lord does not require people to get on their knees when he meet them, and this didn’t happen last time on Mustafar either. Something must have gone wrong.

“Be aware of your manners, Krennic. I have made myself clear enough, and I do not wish to mention it again.”

The pressure in Vader’s words made Krennic gulp involuntarily. This is…not a joke? Is he fathoming how much I can take? But it was not long before Krennic realized that the pressure was not imaginary. Coldness slithered around his neck and tightened, an invisible, deadly grip. He was soon suffocating, gaping hopelessly to fight the dizziness caused by lack of oxygen. As he put his hands to his throat in desperation, the grip suddenly vanished. Krennic exhaled in relief. He certainly did not expect this; being tortured and humiliated was the last thing he ever want. However if simply kneeling down will please the Sith and prevent himself from being choked further, Krennic would do it without hesitation. The hue of blue in his eyes became determined. Slowly and silently he dropped to his knees with clenched fists, bit his lips, and raised his head to face his darkest nightmare.

“Good. Now, Orson Krennic, your position as Director of Advanced Weapons Research Department is dismissed, and others will be informed that you died on Scarif. You are nothing but my property now.”

Krennic’s eyes widened, he stared at Vader in pure disbelief and astonishment. Vader has succeeded in pounding and humiliating him, his words challenging Krennic’s last layer of mental defence. Blast, what did I do wrong?! It was all Galen’s fault! It was him, not me! I was preventing the data from leaking! Why…why did you even do this to me?

The words echoed inside him with coldness. He had stripped everything from me, Krennic thought. He had taken my power, pride, and even dignity as a person. His property. This was a punishment so cruel to a prospecting person that Krennic could never have thought of, let alone to accept. He shouldn’t be here on Mustafar. He would rather be killed on Scarif if he had the choice. 

The tall black figure was circling him ominously now, like a predator toying with his prey. Krennic shivered as dark visions of pain and hopelessness crept into his mind. He saw himself receiving the full impact of the Death Star laser beam on Scarif, the green laser shooting right through his body in a millionth of a second, degenerating him into ashes slowly and painfully. The vision changed, and he saw himself pinned on the floor with one of Vader’s boots on his chest, crushing and grinding him into the ground relentlessly until he felt warm blood streaming out of his mouth. 

“Now, for your failure on Scarif…I believe a lesson in modesty will be appropriate for you.”

Krennic did not realize that he was under Vader’s Force control until he heard the Sith speak again. The suffering seemed so realistic, and he was already losing too much energy. He tried to gather himself together as he saw Vader produced a metallic collar out of nowhere and floated it over his hands. Krennic felt he was being overpowered. There was no chance of escaping, Vader’s power was just simply immeasurable. Vader could break his neck in an instant if he wanted to, and he will, of course, die without even knowing what happened to him. 

He lowered his head and blinked his desperate tears away. Vader had stopped in front of him, his durasteel leg armour at the same level as Krennic’s eyes. Krennic had never been so close to the Dark Lord, he almost felt his own unstable breath reflecting back from the cold metal. The Sith grabbed a handful of his hair with a leathered glove with such brute force that the prickling pain on the head forced him to look upwards. He could not see clearly anymore, tears have blurred his vision. 

“This is the punishment for your false ambitions, Krennic.”

He heard a click, and the metal ring was on his neck. He was permeated by humiliation as he felt the coolness of metal on his skin through the uniform collar. A collar on his neck with the other side held in the hands of his superior officer. Krennic’s reward, after all these years of efforts for the Empire, was to become someone’s toy. 

Krennic felt pathetic. He was breathing heavily inside of this immense whirlwind of anger and fear, too absorbed to notice his hard erection and the little wet spot on the uniform where the clothing touches the tip of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please forgive me as the characters become more ooc as I continue writing. Vader is going to be rough for a while and slowly become mild. I’ll take all your suggestions. It’s the only way I can compromise between a love story and the original characters’ personality. 
> 
> Thoughts? Ideas? Predictions? Share them with me in the comments below.  
> Come on, do it. Feel the Dark Side. Let the words flow through you.  
> [uses mind tricks]


	4. 03 Appropriate Lesson

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vader punishes Krennic physically with indulgence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ummm. After approximately one month, I’m back again. This chapter contains mature stuff. Please do not read if you’re under 18 :P  
> This chapter caused major problems for me to write, as English is not my first language. Had to look up everything.

Inside the meditation chamber, Krennic’s throat tightened. This time it was not caused by asphyxiation, but because of the ominous silence. All he could hear was the Dark Lord’s mechanical voice, and his own breathing, much heavier than usual. Unsettled, he tried to move his gloved fingers. After being clenched into fists for a long time, it almost feel like they were not his own anymore. The feeling of blood rushing through his head led to the discovery of his hard erection. How embarrassing, he bit his lips and thought. Why would this ever happen? Certainly being almost choked to death is not pleasant, and he had never been a masochist for all his life. He never embraced failure; it was unbearable to him. He was a person with great aspirations, and he would go to extremes to obtain power and also pleasure, if necessary. But there have been too many failures recently. The leaked plans on Jedha, an attack on the Imperial kyber crystal refinery, and the destruction of the Citadel Tower on Scarif, all because of that one damned pilot sent by Galen Erso. He had no excuses. He couldn’t have. The Imperial force is known to let the living to bear the faults of the passed, and there was no way of escaping the punishment. 

The heat inside was building, and it felt worse with the thought of a locator collar around his neck. It was utter humiliation. All these years he had worked to be noticed and acknowledged, and now here he was, being acknowledged of the ability to wreck havoc, but it was some kind of acknowledgement anyway. It was a strange realization, that he just wanted attention after all. The way to obtain it is not important, especially when there’s a high chance that he would lose his life. It was satisfying, to finally have a person of importance in front of him. He would like to have a hug now, but in front of Lord Vader this would never happen. He shivered at the thought of his neck being broken, as he had always heard from his colleagues that Vader would actually break officers’ neckbones to kill them. He pulled at his cape and wrapped it around his body. This is what he usually do when he felt scared. 

Vader was reading Krennic’s mind in silence. This one is interesting, he thought. If what he wanted was just attention, I can easily satisfy his needs. He needed a lesson, after all. But what Vader find most intriguing was the thing between the older man’s legs. Ever since he went through the horrible accident on Mustafar, he had become a “technological aberration”, as Tarkin expressed. Nobody ever wanted to get close to him; either they don’t care, or they’re too timid to do so. He was just an executioner of the Emperor, a machine built to kill. As a Sith he should be devoid of compassion and emotion, however this man before him, Krennic, had constantly impressed him with his boldness. No, reckless was probably a better word for him. Maybe he was the right person to find, to open up his deserted heart after being isolated for one decade or two. It is worth it to give a try. And as always, everything starts with an affair.

Krennic felt like there was something moving in his uniform pants. The texture felt like silk, but it was also warm, almost like he was sitting in a hot tub. He grit his teeth in defiance as an answer to the invitation. Then the feeling turned into an ice-cold grip around his cock, as if the Dark Lord himself was squeezing it with his leather-clad gloves. Involuntarily, Krennic gave out a slight groan and pulled on his cape further to fight the adrenaline building inside his body, avoiding direct eye contact with Vader as he slowly advanced to him. Time almost seemed to stop as Vader stopped before him and raised one of his legs in front of his erection. He wasn’t prepared for this, he was as hard as iron and this blow would hurt a lot, if he did not pass out on impact. He gasped as he saw the armoured boot fell in slow motion, his heart beating so fast as if it’s going to burst. 

The pain came to him after a moment of numbness, washing over his body together with immense pleasure, sending shivers down his spine. He lost control of his body as the mixture of pain and pleasure raged inside his body, and fell onto the Dark Lord’s thigh, clinging to him with what’s left of his strength. Several teardrops streamed down his face and fell on the ground. He was being toyed with, as helpless as if he was the animal at the butcher’s place. He must be in an awful, messed up state now.

It certainly got better as Vader started to rub against him gently with the sole of his boot. Krennic let out a sigh of relief, at least a gentle itch is better than the pleasure-brought agony. The bottom of the boot was cold, hard and uncomfortable by normal standards, but it didn’t matter now. Being crushed under Vader’s boots was a humiliating experience, but he’d still prefer it than being scolded by the Grand Moff. Physical pain do not last long, and this time he definitely would not be seen by his subordinates. 

Vader reached out with a gloved hand and grabbed Krennic by his neck, squeezing it so hard that Krennic heard his neck bones crack under the pressure. Then, he threw the man onto a nearby wall and pinned him against it. With a dismissive wave of his hand, the leather belt unbuckled, Krennic’s white uniform and pants left his body and fell on the floor with a thud. 

The Force. The damned thing again. Krennic cursed under his breath. Now that his bare body was displayed before another person, it was more than just humiliation. However he was still grateful that his clothes were taken off, as his uniform was already soaked with sweat. Enormous hands slithered across his body, embracing him with an icy touch. He had no energy to resist, and there was no point of doing so. He had the privilege of being physically touched by the Sith Lord. All he could do was to beg for mercy, to hope that Vader would treat his body gently. 

“No...Lord Vader, please don’t...”

But Vader did not seem to be content. Now Krennic felt an intrusion into his body. It didn’t seem to be made of flesh, and the hardness of it proved painful as it crawled inside his body, until coldness filled his insides. Krennic shuddered as it touched the right point. He was seeing stars now due to the expanding pain, and had no clue what had just happened. The thing inside him slowly retracted out of his body, only to return with two. They were shoved into his body again, touching and teasing the point again and again. They pulled out, then one more came in. Krennic could barely breathe. For the first time he was being expanded like an inflated balloon, the pain was was not as sharp, but it was squeezing his other organs, making it difficult to breathe. 

He was forced to raise his head due to lack of oxygen. The black, expressionless mask hovered just above his face, infrared visors glowing viciously. There wasn’t much energy left in him, so he grabbed a handful of Vader’s huge black cape and clung to it. The speed at which the fingers moved were driving him insane. Precome dripped out of his hardened cock, and he was there, pinned against a wall, panting and groaning with carnal pleasure. He felt like a prostitute, but he couldn’t do anything about it. It wasn’t that bad, anyway. Vader was still lenient to him; he didn’t use any of his intimidation tactics to break him apart mentally when doing this. It would be far worse if he did that.

Krennic came with a final push. He spilt on the Dark Lord’s legs as he dropped to his knees after the fingers finally pulled out of him. He sniffed his nose and realized he had been crying in pain for a while, but he didn’t care, at least everything’s going to be over soon. If he was still to be killed for his failures, at least he got something out of his death sentence. He was just a grain of sand in this vast universe, weak and helpless. He doubted if anyone would remember him, father of the Death Star, after he died. Of course nobody would, Tarkin would take away his life project, and someone else would replace him as the new Director of Advanced Weapons Research Department. With this, he crawled closer to one of Vader’s boots instinctively, curled up beside it, put his head on it, and faded into unconsciousness.

Vader looked down to see the exhausted man lying at his feet. By convention, he would have to kill him, as the Emperor does not permit any kind of failure. However, he sensed no hatred for him in Krennic’s mind, even when he was indulging himself and claiming the body as his own, as if the Director was his stuffed toy. For years he had closed up upon himself, pretended that it was too late to change, and he was unforgivable for the crimes he committed. No matter how big or small the evil was, from killing all the Jedi in Order 66 to massacres of the species which rebelled against the Empire, people blamed it on him, and made him devil’s advocate, evil’s materialization. However Krennic had forgiven him for the harm he had done to him, unconditionally. 

It was best not to kill him on the spot.

Vader sat down on the chair in the middle of the meditation chamber. Gently, using the Force, he lifted the sleeping Krennic up and put him on his lap. Vader covered the naked man with his own dark cape, and held him in his arms. The Director needed to rest. A memory erase would also be necessary. 

You are special, Krennic. You shall live and serve my purposes, and our bond will go beyond mere cooperation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? Ideas? Predictions? Share them with me in the comments below.  
> Come on, do it. Feel the Dark Side. Let the words flow through you.  
> [uses mind tricks]
> 
> Trash talk: if I’m writing ships I cannot do it without being OOC. Please forgive me. I am checking as many SW comics as I can and keep the personalities as original as possible.
> 
> More trash talk: math is killing me! I had problems with Vectors and Linear Algebra, so I wasn’t able to get back to writing recently. Sorry for the wait guys, I didn’t want to give up...hope you all enjoy. AND COMMENT PLEASE


	5. 04 Deadly Invitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vader erases Krennic’s memory and gives him a chance to restore his status.

Krennic woke up in Vader's arms with an empty head and nothing on. Carefully not moving his body, he blinked his eyes and looked around. The machines suspending from the ceiling suggested that he's still in Vader's meditation chamber. Then he saw his white uniform in a pile near the far wall. Under normal circumstances he would never leave his clothes like that; he would always fold them up neatly before going to sleep. He tried to recall what happened, but all he could see was a blurry haze in his mind, like the ones he saw when he got drunk in the past. He didn't drink anything before he meet with Vader, and this confused him. He tried to reason through it, but his body was aching and his mind seemed jammed. Probably because my wounds haven't fully healed, thought Krennic. He dared not to think any further, so he laid back in Vader's lap and made himself comfortable.

Vader was clearly meditating. To Krennic he seemed to be asleep, but there's something with the Force that enables people to do supernatural things, including choking people from a distance, which Krennic would never understand. He moved his elbow slightly by accident and immediately felt a powerful push. A second later he was on the ground wondering what happened. That was Vader for sure; he didn't know that Vader could still feel his surroundings when meditating. Anyways, it seemed the Dark Lord's leniency was over. Krennic started to regret the next second he was on the ground. He already started to miss the feeling of being held by Vader. The metallic chest plate was cold and uncomfortable to lean on, but it was the reassuring feeling that Krennic really missed. The gentle hold, the mechanical breathing sound, and even that enormous cape, all contributed to a sense of security that Krennic hasn't experienced for years. He loathed the thought of being dependent on someone, especially a dangerous one like Vader, but no matter how many people Vader killed, how much he had hurt Krennic in the past, he was the first one to comfort Krennic after all these kriffing experiences in return of working hard for the Empire. That was exactly what Krennic needed; he just couldn't get enough. As Vader ordered him to leave, he cursed and swore in his mind about this womanish thought.

***

It has been more than three days since Vader last saw Krennic. Now that the existence of the Death Star was leaked, meetings, missions and meditation kept Vader busy. He succeeded in capturing a rebel ship which escaped from the battle of Scarif, but the stolen plans were nowhere to be found. To make it worse, the princess of Alderaan onboard the rebel ship gave no response of the rebel base at all, and faked a place when Tarkin threatened her by subjecting the planet to the firepower of the Death Star. All of it was in the Force, he knew this would happen. 

And now Vader was standing in front of his acquisition from Scarif, musing on the technological terror that this man had built. Tarkin took over the battle station before all these happened, and claimed that he himself had built the very weapon once he believed that Krennic was dead. Vader gave him his warnings, but Tarkin didn’t seem to have taken in anything. Those disgraceful tricks used by politicians to gain power have always annoyed Vader, whom cared not about his position in the Empire. Tarkin obviously decided to invest most of his effort in this weapon and, at the right time, substitute it for Vader himself as the iron fist of the Emperor. Clever, Tarkin, thought Vader, but you will never win against the will of the Force. You might have full control over me in power, but the Force is not your ally. How unfortunate. Vader looked towards the officer in white, who was secretly tugging at his gloves, obviously nervous. Time for some good news.

"There has been another successful test fire of the Death Star, Krennic. The target planet Alderaan was demolished."

Surprised, Krennic raised his head as a response. His hard work in the past ten years had finally paid off; the Death Star was fully functional at last. He has brought peace to the galaxy by building a reinforcement so powerful that nobody would dare to stand against it. He gave back a delightful smile and stated it was his pleasure as Vader walked towards him. He would certainly have gotten a promotion if the plans were not leaked, but it’s even better to have someone on his side. If Vader was on his side, he could have done much more...if only he could make Vader change his mind. 

Krennic startled as he felt the metal wall against his back. He was moving back subconsciously under Vader’s pressure, and now there’s nowhere to hide, he had to do something to prove himself worthy. Quickly he chose an arrangement of words and cleared his throat, prepared to speak. Then he felt pins and needles in his mind, prickling for the speech he had just prepared. It was mind reading, thought Krennic, Vader was deliberately letting him know that he could read his mind. The Force. It was the best power play for those non-Force sensitives. Krennic gulped involuntarily. Now that Vader knew his thoughts, there’s no way Vader would be easy on him if they were not on the same side. Vader did not seem to have much emotion, and it was almost impossible to deduct anything from his body language. Anything could happen in the next few minutes, Krennic prayed that things would go well. 

“What do you want from me, Lord Vader?”

“Nothing but your cooperation, Krennic. That battle station of yours, it was initiated from the executives, but it now serves as part of Tarkin’s personal scheme. We are tangled up in this now.”

To his surprise, there were no further punishments for his failure. Krennic looked at the finger pointing at him and quickly sighed in relief. Vader was referring to the time they met on Geonosis, it couldn’t be wrong. Vader was thinking of standing together with him, however the cooperation request itself proved to be deadly. There were rumours about Vader killing everyone who worked together with him, and this was likely to happen to Krennic as well. Vader see Imperial officers as expendable objects and would always use them up before ending their lives. Krennic lowered his head and bit his lips. If he was destined to die in the hands of others, it would be better to be impaired by a lightsaber instead of being blown up by his own design. And there was the bonus: he could seek revenge on Tarkin before he die. 

“It’s my greatest honour to work with you, my Lord,” he said quietly, “will I regain control over the Death Star before I die?”

Krennic realized his undoing when he felt his feet leaving the ground. Vader didn’t even move his hands this time; he did it with the Force. Krennic felt dizzy as he was thrown backwards and let out a painful cry as his back slammed hard against a wall. Immobilized, he slid to the ground and laid there. Vader was standing over him, the sides of his heels pressing hard against Krennic’s ribs. For one brief moment, Krennic believed that his face would be crushed under one of Vader’s boots. Vader had done this sometimes to rebel captives who insulted him with such force that their skulls caved in, resulting in instant deaths.

Krennic looked away and refused to think of the consequences when he was dragged up by the locator collar on his neck. He almost forgot about the locator, as it was not the least same design as those cuffs used in cells; it had an elegant shape and a silver glow, there was even a pendant ring made of sapphire. It looked like a necklace of some sort, so Krennic felt comfortable to wear it under his uniform without being ashamed. However, it was impossible to be taken off without authorization, as the metal felt like Durasteel, one of the strongest metal made in the galaxy, nothing could cut through it. Few people knew how to produce this metal now, and the price has shot up through the ceiling. It’s said that the armour plate on Vader’s chest was made of the same metal, designed to tank a few lightsaber blows. Krennic wondered where Vader got this strange locator from. 

“Remember your place, Krennic. I do not want to mention this again.”

“My apologies, Lord Vader.”

Krennic struggled to find balance when he was released. At least he’s survived another day. There’s no such thing like promises in front of Vader, but maybe he’ll find a way back to his Death Star some day. He hissed viciously under his breath. Tarkin, there's still more to expect. That's just a part of its full potential.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Geonosis plot in this chapter is from the comic Darth Vader Annual #2. Here’s the link:  
> https://readcomiconline.to/Comic/Darth-Vader-2017/Annual-2?id=137249
> 
> I don’t know. Here’s your Christmas gift. I’m writing a second chapter during Christmas break. Enjoy!
> 
> Thoughts? Ideas? Predictions? Share them with me in the comments below.  
> Come on, do it. Feel the Dark Side. Let the words flow through you.  
> [uses mind tricks]


End file.
